


Taking Chances Too

by PrincessStark



Series: Taking Chances [2]
Category: Original Work, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Divorce, F/M, Gen, POV First Person, Paparazzi, RPF, robert downey jr. rpf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-16
Updated: 2013-07-16
Packaged: 2017-12-20 09:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/885870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessStark/pseuds/PrincessStark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Taking Chances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking Chances Too

**Author's Note:**

> This wouldn't let me sleep until I wrote it. I hope you enjoy!

I took the hot chocolate I ordered from the barista, thanking her and and turning to leave. I almost ran into someone, stopping abruptly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

I smiled softly, shaking my head. "I almost knocked you over. You don't need to be-" I cut myself off, turning my head slightly when I recognized who I'd almost bulldozed. "Indio?"

Of course I had never met the younger man, but I knew his father very well. The last time I saw his father had been at a press junket for my movie. Team Downey had made _Back 2 Good_ a reality for me. I would never forget the time I spent with them or the rest of the cast and crew I had worked with. I was still in contact with most of them, and I loved it.

In fact, it was staying in touch with Emerson that had led me to my next venture. Dean Cain was making a new tv show under his Angry Dragon Entertainment production company and Teri Hatcher had given him my name. When he called me personally, I was surprised how easily I was able to talk to him when I'm sure my heart was beating at an alarming rate in my chest and feeling as though I was unable to breathe all that easily.

If there was any actor in this world I admired as much as I did Indio's father, it was Dean Cain. I had a crush on him since I was ten years old, if not younger. To say that I liked older men would be an understatement. It wasn't something I was ashamed of or even something that I made a big deal over when I was with an older man, but for some reason, I prefered them.

Of course, I hadn't expected anything to happen between Dean and myself when I joined his new production, but when he asked me out, there was no way I was about to say no. After having been around everyone I had worked with on _Back 2 Good_ , meeting celebrities wasn't a big deal for me anymore. Yes, I was still humbled by it, but it didn't faze me like it had in the beginning.

I was now dating Dean and was part of his production crew. I was happy with my life. My children were happy. Their mom was dating _Superman_ , and they made sure everyone knew it. Not to say that it wasn't a big deal for me. I'd been _in love_ with Superman for as long as I could remember. Thankfully, that wasn't odd for Dean.

It hadn't been odd for Robert either in the brief time we had spent together, but that situation had been reversed. I had known of and admired Robert Downey Jr. longer than I had even known about Iron Man. I had always loved superheroes, but I never once believed I would ever be in love with either of the men who played my two favorite ones. It was every fangirl's fantasy, and I had been lucky enough to know and love both of them.

And here I was, standing in front of Indio Downey out of the blue. I realized he had no idea who I was, so I offered him my hand. "I'm Chelle. Chelle Frost." It was my birth name, the name I had chosen to use professionally, and also the name Robert knew me by. I was sure he wouldn't have told him about the time we spent together, but he might possibly know we had worked together.

And he did. Shaking my hand, he nodded. "Yes, Chelle. It's nice to meet you."

I smiled brightly, pulling my hand back after our greeting. "It's very nice to meet you, Indio."

He reached behind me to take his coffee when the barista called out his order. "I'm glad we ran into each other! Are you on your way anywhere?"

I shook my head. "I don't have anywhere to be for a while..."

"Would you like to sit?"

I smiled, turning the direction of my head shaking to a nod. I hadn't expected to run into Indio, especially not so randomly like this, so I wouldn't pass up sitting with him at Starbucks.

He led me to a small, tall table near the back of the coffee shop, pulling out a seat for me. I silently thanked him and climbed up onto the raised chair, placing my cup down on the table as he sat across from me.

Looking over at him, I quietly asked, "How's your father?"

He smiled, taking a sip of his piping hot beverage. Swallowing, he answered even more quietly than I had asked, "I'm sure he wouldn't like me telling you this, but he's miserable."

I pulled my cup down before even taking a sip. "What? Why?" I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. It hurt my heart to think of him anything other than extremely happy like always.

"He's getting divorced."

My eyes widened and my heart tightened in my chest. His marriage was over, of course he was miserable. Even if he and Susan hadn't been having problems while I was with him, I knew he loved her. I didn't want him to be be miserable.

"That's not why he's miserable though."

I lifted my gaze which had fallen to my cup back up to meet Indio's. "If it wasn't because of his divorce, then what would it be?"

"He misses you."

I blinked. Maybe Robert had told him something of what had happened between him and me. It shouldn't have come as a shock to me. Robert had told me they were close, so why shouldn't he have told him? It wasn't his mother Robert was cheating with me on. I didn't know what Indio's relationship was like with Susan, but at least I felt somewhat better where he was concerned.

"You should call him, Chelle. He wouldn't be so down if you did."

I had done my best not to pay attention to Robert after I walked away from him, but I knew where he was right now. He was in New York filming Avengers 2. I hated thinking that he was out there working, going through a divorce, and miserable just because he missed me.

I couldn't have this conversation right now. I didn't have anywhere to be, but I couldn't be here anymore. I could not be sitting here with Robert's son talking about how miserable he was because of me. I couldn't focus.

Jumping, I thought quickly, pulling my phone from where I kept it tucked beside my breast in my bra. I looked down at it as though I was reading a text. "I'm sorry, Indio. I've got to go." I slid off the seat, doing my best to smile for him. "It was really great meeting you. Tell your dad I said hi." I almost ran out of the coffee shop, heading for my new Dodge Charger. I would call Dean from the car, but I just wanted to go home. I am sure he wouldn't mind me taking a personal day. I just needed to be alone.

* * *

I had only been seeing Dean a couple of months when he asked me to move in with him, so when I started to go home, I almost headed for the 405 to head toward Palmdale. It took calling Dean to remind me where I lived now. I exited off the ten and turned back toward _our_ home here in Santa Monica. The five of us shared his home now. Dean, me, my children and his son. We were like a family. Dean hadn't proposed or anything like that yet, and I wasn't expecting him to.

But we were happy. We were in love. He loved my children. They loved him. I loved Christopher, and I was sure he loved me too. He wasn't always around, but from the time we had all spent together, I was sure he felt like the rest of us. My children loved having an older brother, and Dean told me Christopher was happy, that was enough for me to know that things were exactly how they should be.

But even though everything was perfect, my meeting with Indio had shaken me. I had been happy with Robert, despite the fact that I had been the other woman. But I had told him things wouldn't have changed between us, they couldn't progress, until he divorced Susan. Now he was divorcing her, and what? Did he expect me to have been just sitting around twiddling my thumbs, waiting for this moment? I was the one who walked away from him, but I still didn't expect his son to say that he was miserable without me.

I pulled my car into the garage and hadn't expected Dean's Ferrari to be parked there as well. I was sure he was down at the studio. That's where he said he had been, but yet his car was parked in his spot. Turning off the engine, I slid out from the seat and headed into the house.

"Dean, honey? Are you home?"

He came into the kitchen from the front of the house, wrapping his arms around me. "Are you ok? You sounded very panicked."

I closed my eyes, enjoying his arms around me. I had wanted to be alone, but I was glad he was there. "I just..." I started, but I really didn't want to tell him exactly what was wrong. I didn't want to keep things from him, but I didn't want him thinking I was still in love with a man I was never really supposed to be with.

"Is it the baby?" he asked, pulling back and placing one hand there.

I was just a little over three months pregnant, nothing anyone would notice, but Dean had been the first people who knew. I hadn't expected to jump into bed with him on our first date. We had only been working together for a week at the time he had asked me out, but being with him was something I had dreamed about for years. I hadn't expected to get pregnant. It wasn't something either of us had planned either. I hadn't gone back on my birth control yet, but he had used a condom, so the notion that I could or would get pregnant didn't even dawn on me.

I placed my hand over his. "No. The baby is fine."

I smiled up at him. He was perfect. He'd always wanted children. Christopher had been born when he was 34 and he had been happy to only have one. When he met me, he didn't expect to have another, especially not this soon. Not only were we expecting a child together, he had taken my two children I had already and become the father they had always needed. It had happened so easily and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

"Then what was it?"

"Can we sit down?" I asked, almost wincing.

Nodding, he wrapped his arm around my waist and walked with me into the den. He sat down with me, keeping his arm around me and my body pulled securely against his. He rested both of his hands on my stomach and I closed my eyes, laying my head on his shoulder.

"You know, this is a dream come true, Dean." I opened my eyes slightly, turning to look at him. "Being here with you."

He smiled, brushing his lips across mine. "I'm happy you're happy."

"I am," I told him nodding before shifting to sit so I was facing him and tucking my legs up beneath me. "I really am."

"Then what's got you so frustrated?" he asked, lifting his hand and letting his fingers softly brush through my hair.

I smiled, loving how amazing he was. I always knew he would be, but the way he treated my children and me was above and beyond anything I'd ever dreamed of.

"I haven't even told my children, but I've got to tell someone or I'll burst."

I had told my best friend. She was the only person I'd told when I was with Robert, because I knew she was the only person who would understand. She was teaching at CU Riverside and she just happened to be dating Chris Evans. Their relationship wasn't highly publicized, kept out of the public eye, so if there was anyone I could trust with this, it was her.

He settled more into the couch, taking my hands in his. "You know you can tell me anything, baby."

"I know," I whispered. "Believe me, I do know. I'm just afraid to tell you this."

"Michelle, baby, honey," he said, shaking his head, "you don't have to ever be afraid of telling me anything."

I smiled softly, licking my lips. "When I was working on _Back 2 Good_ , I was involved with someone and we didn't tell anyone. Well, he told his son and I saw him when I stopped at Starbucks to get a hot chocolate. Anyway, his son told me that he's miserable now and it just..." I looked down at our hands. "It made me feel horrible."

Dean lifted one of his hands to lift my face back up to look at him. "Baby, you shouldn't let some guy's misfortune make you feel bad. It's his loss you're not together anymore."

I shook my head. He was looking at this from a completely biased, yet unbiased, perspective, both at the same time. He had no idea who the guy was or why we weren't together anymore to really be able to say anything to that point, but he was also the man who was with me now, and I knew he'd say that about anyone I'd ever been with before him.

"Did you want to tell me what happened?"

I smiled, but only softly. "How can you be so wonderful?"

He chuckled slightly. "How am I being wonderful? I'm only offering to listen to you, showing you support."

None of the women he'd ever been with had ever bothered me before, even now that I was with him, but I didn't expect him to be that understanding with me. I never said he was the first celebrity I had been with, so I'm sure it wouldn't faze him one way or the other that I told him it was someone I'd worked with on my movie's set. But if he knew it was Robert Downey Jr., would he still be as understanding.

"I'm not... a good girl, you know, like I pretend to be."

This made him laugh even more. "It's one of the things I love about you, baby."

I couldn't help but laugh a little as well. "I'm serious here, Dean."

He stopped laughing, but the smile remained on his face. "I know, baby, I know. But it's still the truth."

I shook my head softly, letting my teeth drag over my bottom lip. "The man I was with, he was married, and yes, I felt bad about that, but that didn't stop me from wanting to be with him the little I was."

I could tell that wasn't what Dean was expecting to hear, but he remained calm. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"

Nodding, I took a deep breath. "Working with Team Downey on _Back 2 Good_ was the most amazing experience I could have ever had. I never in a million years thought my script would ever become a movie, but I won that contest and my whole life changed. I was working with so many people I have admired for years, I never expected anything to happen with any of them."

Dean knew that I didn't just like men. He knew that I'd been with women before and that I didn't necessarily prefer one sex over the other. But I'd already told him that it was a man who I had been involved with, a married man nonetheless, and a man who had a son who was old enough to be getting coffee on his own without his father around. That didn't leave many of the main cast or crew to wonder about.

"Robert and I hit it off right from the beginning. He thought I was talented and he was glad to be working with me," I told him, swallowing hard.

This was really hard, and yet Dean sat before me, his gaze unwavering, his face unreadable. I wished I could tell what he was thinking, and I knew I only had to ask, but he wanted to know what had happened between Robert and me, so I was going to tell him. I didn't have to be afraid, I knew I didn't, but I still was.

"You know how impulsive I am, Dean. You know I jump headfirst without even checking the water level or temperature first, but with him, I was so nervous. He had made me feel so comfortable on the set and with everyone we were working with, but when it came to being in a relationship with him, I was scared to death. I never let it show though, I never told him I was afraid, but I kept my heart guarded. I knew it was all too good to be true, so I told him that nothing could really happen between us until he was divorced."

I held up my hand quickly, my eyes almost bugging out of my head. "Oh, God! I didn't mean it like that! I wasn't demanding anything from him. He told me things hadn't been good between him and Susan since she was pregnant with Exton. I didn't want to be the home wrecker, Dean! I've never wanted to be that." I took a slow breath. "He wasn't the first married man I've ever been with, but he was the first I ever let myself have feelings for."

Nodding slowly, I saw the Adam's Apple in his neck shift up slightly as he swallowed. "So, I guess the question is, are you still in love with him?"

The truth was, I didn't know, but it didn't matter to me. I was in love with Dean and I was with Dean. I wasn't going to leave him just because Robert was really getting divorced now. This wasn't even a question to me. I was in love with Dean.

"I'm in love with you, Dean. I'm with you. I'm carrying your baby. I want to be with you."

"That's not answering my question."

"Because I don't even like the answer myself."

I sighed, pushing myself up off the couch and picking up the throw over the back of the couch. We usually just left it thrown on the couch, but I had to do something with my hands. I had to fold it. Dean stood, taking my hands in one of his and tossing the blanket back on the couch. He pulled me into his arms, kissing the top of my head. He held me there for a moment, his head resting on top of mine before speaking softly.

"It is an answer, I'm sorry, Chelle. Expecting anyone to stop loving someone in the brief time since you've been away from him is too much to ask. It was wrong of me to ask." His fingers slid up and down my back, massaging gently there. "Things with us happened so quickly, I should have known there had to be someone in your not so distant past that you still had feelings for."

"It doesn't matter," I told him, looking up at him, shaking my head. "It doesn't matter what I feel for him, Dean. I'm not with him. I was the one who walked away from him. I was the one who said we couldn't be together, and I made peace with that, but that doesn't mean that if I hear he's down I'm not going to feel bad about it."

"Because you care so much."

I smiled softly, resting my head back against his chest. "I love him, Dean, I won't lie to you, but I'm happy with you. I love you. We have a family, and there isn't anything I would do to ruin that. I want to be with you. I love you."

He kissed the top of my head again and I smiled gently. "I love you, Chelle. Everything is fine, ok. We're ok. The baby is ok. We're ok."

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tighter to me. "Don't let me go, please."

"Never."

* * *

I couldn't get my meeting the other day with Indio out of my head. I really just wanted to call Robert and make sure he wasn't as miserable as Indio had made him out to be. I knew Dean wouldn't mind if I gave him a call, but I still didn't want to drag anything up. If he never wanted to see me again after the way I left him, I would completely understand, but I didn't like thinking he was miserable if I could help in any way.

But I still had to know he was alright.

Dean was out with the children, letting me have some alone time. I didn't always need my alone time, but Dean insisted I have it every so often. So, since I was alone, I took the opportunity to give Robert a call. If I was lucky, he'd be filming and not have his phone on him. I could just let it slide and not leave him a message. If he called me back, it would be on him.

The phone rang twice before it clicked to answer and I closed my eyes, debating on whether or not to hang up the phone. I probably should have.

"Chelle?"

Swallowing hard, I stared out the French doors to the water lapping on the shore. "Hi. How's New York?"

"Be better if you were here."

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath. "I ran into Indio the other day. He told me about you and Susan."

"Young Master said he met you. He said you looked good."

"He said you weren't happy," I said, not wanting to talk about me.

"We didn't talk a lot at the junket. You left before I could tell you about the divorce."

My eyes widened. Did he seriously just tell me that they he had filed before the junket? I hadn't even given him time to breathe, let alone say two words.

"Are you working on anything right now?"

I shook my head, even though he couldn't see it, not to say no, but just silently chastising myself. "Yeah, I'm uh, working with Dean Cain on this new television show he's producing."

"Oh. That... That's... Are you with him?"

I closed my eyes, wishing he hadn't asked that. "Yes," I was barely able to whisper.

There was silence on the line before he spoke again. _"Is it serious?"_

"Robert, I-" I really didn't want to tell him, but I thought he should hear it from me before I was on some magazine with the words _baby bump_ next to my picture. "I'm pregnant." The line went silent again and this time I was sure I had lost him. "Bob? Bob?"

"How far along?"

"A little over four months..."

"And you didn't tell me?!"

My eyes widened, and suddenly I felt defensive, I couldn't say why. "I didn't know I had to tell you!"

"Excuse me for wanting to know about my baby!"

I was about to bite back that this baby wasn't his, but now that he said that, I had to wonder. I only now realized that Robert and I hadn't used any protection and Dean and I had. Yes, condoms break or are faulty, and that's what Dean and I thought had happened, but the truth of the matter was, it was more likely that Robert was the father and not Dean.

I was sick to my stomach. Standing, I quickly ran toward the closest bathroom. It had been more than eight years since I had been pregnant, but if there was one thing I would never like about being pregnant, it was the nausea. It was the only thing I hated about nausea with this pregnancy was as intense as it had been with my daughter. I had gotten hyperemesis grandi varum with my first pregnancy and almost had to be hospitalized. Had I not been able to keep down liquids, I would have been.

A few minutes later, I came out of the bathroom to get my phone. Robert had hung up, but he had called back four times. I was bout to call him back when my phone began ringing his ringtone again. It was his song, _Man Like Me_. I loved that song. I answered the call, but I couldn't say a word before his voice came through the receiver.

"Chelle! Are you ok? What happened?"

Swallowing, I licked my lips, tasting the mouthwash I had used. "I dropped my phone on the way to the bathroom."

"Are you ok?" he repeated his question.

"I'm fine, Robert. I'm pregnant. It happens."

"I want to see you, Chelle. Come out to New York."

"I can't do that. I'm not going to bring my children out there."

"Take a day. Take a few days. Just come see me."

He always expected everyone to do what he said, but I hadn't before and I wasn't going to start now. "You know I can't, Bob. I can't."

"I still love you, Chelle. I was going to tell you that I filed for divorce that day at the junket. I wish I had."

"Robert, I love you. I know I always will, but I'm with Dean now. I'm in love with him."

"And our baby?"

"This is Dean's baby."

"Then why did you bolt for the bathroom. Are you really that sure?"

I wanted to be angry with him, but I knew he was right. I was in love with both men and either one of them could be the father of my baby. It upset me to think that Dean may not be the father, but I know if the situation was reversed, I know I would be upset that Robert could not be the father. I loved both of them, I knew I always would, but I was with Dean and I wasn't going to leave him just because Robert and I could be together now. The whole situation made me want to cry.

"Chelle?"

Taking a deep breath, I swallowed hard. "I'll call you later, Robert."

"Chelle?"

"What?"

"I love you."

I felt my lips curl into a soft smile. "I love you, Robert," I whispered, wondering whether I really felt bad for admitting that or not.

Quickly, I ended the call and tossed the phone on the couch beside me. I couldn't believe the mess I'd gotten myself into, but it was my mess and I had to be the one to figure my way out of it.

* * *

"You did what?"

I looked down at my hands on my lap, not wanting to keep anything from him, but wishing now that I hadn't said a word. He wasn't angry, he wasn't upset or anything, but I was sure I could hear the pain of how I had hurt him, maybe even betrayed him, in his voice. I never wanted to hear that from the man I loved, and it was clearly evident in Dean's voice.

"I couldn't stop thinking about what his son had said, Dean. I couldn't ignore it anymore."

"And? What did you say? What did he say?"

Looking back up at him, I bit my lip. How could I tell him? How could I not tell him? He had said I could tell him anything, and I believed him, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt him.

"He thinks the baby is his." I turned my gaze back down to my lap.

Everything that had happened between Dean and me had all happened so fast. We met early in the week, he had asked me to go out with him, and we went out that weekend. I slept with him that first night. It had been a week since the junket. I found out a few weeks later that I was pregnant. I had assumed the baby was Dean's. I hadn't even stopped to think that it could have been Robert's until I had been on the phone with him earlier.

Dean sat down on the bed beside me. He didn't wrap his arm around me or touch me more than his leg against mine as we sat beside each other. "Then there is a possibility?"

I turned to look at him, pulling my leg closest to him up under me. "Robert and I were only together one time. I told him that I wasn't going to sleep with him until he and Susan were divorced, but the last time I saw him, I gave in. I knew nothing was ever going to change and that I had to just walk away, but I couldn't just make a clean break. You know me, Dean. You know how I rarely think before I do anything."

Dean reached out, taking my hands. "I'm not faulting you for being who you are, baby. I wouldn't do that."

"I had every intention to walk away from him that day and never see him again."

"Then what happened? What changed that?"

"Temptation reared it's enticing head." I shook my head. "He pulled me into a room, right then and there, and you know how much I love making love in public I couldn't resist.."

He did know. We found every semi-private place in public we could to make love, and I knew he loved it. It was part of who I am, who I was sexually, and he loved that about me, but even now, I could see that he didn't like me talking about having sex with someone else, even if he knew I was no blushing virgin.

"So, there's a more likely chance that our baby isn't my baby."

It had come out as less of a question and more of a revelation. I could see the hurt in his eyes. I could hear it in his voice. I hated myself for this, and I knew nothing I could do would make it better.

"What now?"

I turned my head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"What do we do now?"

Him saying _we_ sparked a tiny ray of hope within me. He wasn't going to dump my skanky ass even if I deserved it. I wouldn't have put it past him if he hadn't wanted to be with me, agreeing with me that I was the whore that I felt like I was, and dropping me like a bad habit.

"We?" I tentatively asked.

"I figure, if you were leaving, you would have done it already."

I smiled softly, whispering, "I'm not going anywhere." I swallowed hard. "That is, if you still want me."

"I love you. And whoever is the father of _our_ baby, I will love him or her either way."

I bit my lip, shaking my head. "You are amazing, you know that, right?"

"I'm in love with you, Chelle. There isn't anything I wouldn't do to keep you happy."

Part of me didn't like the sound of that. I knew he wouldn't go hurt anyone, namely Robert, because he wanted me to be happy, but I didn't want to think about what he _would_ do because he did. It worried me.

I awoke the next morning wrapped only in the sheet of the bed and to find Dean leaning over me. He was completely dressed and ready to go.

"Sleep well?"

I accepted his kiss with a smile, nodding my head. "I did. Thank you." I couldn't help the blush that spread over my cheeks. It didn't matter how many times we would make love, how many nights I slept naked in his arms, I was sure I would always feel the crimson paint warming my cheeks at the thought of it.

"What time is it?"

"Just after 10:30."

My eyes widened and I sat up quickly, only to feel his warm hands on my shoulders, pushing me back down onto the bed. "You're taking a day. Relax. T2 are getting dressed. They've had breakfast. I'm going to take them to your sister's on the way to the studio."

My little sister had taken care of my children since I had to start working after my divorce. There weren't a lot of people in this world who I trusted with my children. I had to find someone else to watch them when I first came to California, but after I started working with Team Downey making my movie, I paid to move my sister and her family to California with me. I bought her a house near the beach and helped her husband find a job just so I could get them down here. I needed my sister and there wasn't anything I wouldn't have done to get her here.

"I don't have to take a day, Dean. I took one the other day."

"You're pregnant. It's understandable."

I shook my head. "I may be pregnant, but no one knows yet!"

He smiled down at me, placing his hand on the sheet over my stomach. It wasn't flat anymore, but then again I never really did have a flat stomach. Naked like this, you could tell I was pregnant though, barely, at just over four months.

"Everyone is going to know sooner or later. You'll have a reason."

"Yes, but now the only reason I have is that I'm sleeping with the boss."

Dean smirked. "It does have it's perks."

I giggled, shaking my head just as my children came bounding into the room. Pulling the sheet up more against my body, I sat up to give them hugs.

"You're sick?" my son asked.

I nodded my head. "I'm just gonna stay home and take care of the baby today. Too much stress is making mommy cranky. I don't think I wanna go to work and bite everyone's head off."

His eyes widened. "That wouldn't be good!"

I giggled, giving him a hug and a kiss. "No, it wouldn't. I love you, ok. You two have fun at Titi's house."

"Can't we stay home?" my daughter asked.

Dean shook his head, placing his hand on her back. "Mommy needs to rest, ok? But maybe she can come pick you up later."

My daughter looked at me, hoping I would say yes. "Yeah. Just let me relax for a bit and then maybe I'll come have a late lunch with all of you and then we can come home."

She threw her arms around me and gave me a tight hug. "I love you, mommy!"

I hugged her back gently. "I love you too, baby. I'll call Titi later, ok?"

She nodded and took my son's hand to head toward the door.

"You two go find Chris. I'll be down in a bit and then we'll go."

They left and I smiled up at him. He was an amazing father. Even though he wasn't their biological father and he wasn't even really their step father, I loved the way he treated them. I was happy with him and I knew I was where I wanted to be.

Dean leaned forward, brushing his lips across mine. "I'll call you later."

"Thank you, Dean," I whispered as he stood.

"You just rest."

Nodding my head, I laid back down against my pillows and watched him walk out the door. I was happy, but I still needed to call Jess. I needed to tell her what I did yesterday. As I reached for the phone, the anxiety from my conversation with Robert yesterday started to hit me again. Yes, I was happy with Dean. I knew I was, but with the way I left things with Robert, didn't I at least owe him something? I needed to talk to Jess. She would knock some sense into me. She didn't have an 11 o'clock class, so I'd wait a few moments to call her so her 9:30 class was over and her students weren't still around.

Sliding out of the bed, I walked into the bathroom, deciding to take a shower. I'd get ready for the day even if Dean wanted me to take it easy today. I could still get up and get dressed. When I finished showering, it was just past 11, so I decided I could call her now. Heading downstairs to make some breakfast for myself, I speed dialed Jess' number and put the phone to my ear. It rang only twice before she answered.

_"Early lunch?"_

I smiled, shaking my head even though she couldn't see. "No, actually I just woke up about a half hour ago. Class over?"

_"Yep! Just heading out to get lunch. Too bad you don't live closer. You could join me since your lazy ass is just getting out of bed."_

"Dean decided to let me sleep in. And he told me to take a personal day again. Perks of sleeping with the boss."

_"Yeah, yeah. What's up?"_

"You know how I'm good at fucking things up?" I continued without pausing, knowing she'd argue that. "I've done it again."

_"What did you do now, sweets?"_

"I called Robert." He was still RDJ to her, but he was Robert or Bob to me, and I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to call him RDJ again, even though that's what he'd been to me for years, either that or his full _Robert Downey Jr._

_"Why did you call him?"_

I could tell she wasn't particularly proud of me. She knew I was happy with Dean, even if she knew how hard it was for me to just walk away from Robert. She had sat with me while I stressed out over sleeping with him or not while we were working together, and she had been proud of me that I had been strong and gotten through it. Until that very last day.

She didn't hold it against me. I was sure somewhere inside she was secretly thinking I would be with Robert and she had been with Chris for a little over a year now, so in a way, we would be with Captain America and Iron Man. It was a fangirl's dream. But that dream ended, for her and for me.

At least I thought that chapter of my life was closed until I ran into Indio the other day.

"I saw Indio and he knew everything, Jess. Robert had told him everything."

I stopped when I entered the kitchen, placing my hand over my heart in awe. There on the table with a single long-stem lily in a tall vase was a plate of French toast and bacon and strawberries. There was no way I could eat all that, but it was sweet of Dean to make it for me. Smiling, I walked over and sat down to eat, not skipping a beat with my conversation with my best friend.

"Robert and Susan are divorcing."

_"Yeah, he told you that months ago, remember?"_

"I know he did, but he filed. He filed before the junket. He was planning on telling me that day."

_"Does knowing that really change anything?"_

"No," I shook my head, taking a bite of the bacon. "But what if he is the father and not Dean?"

"Oh, my God! You didn't use protection!"

"No, we didn't. We didn't even think about it. But Dean and I had, and we thought the condom just didn't work or broke or something. So," I sighed, dropping the piece of bacon and sliding down in the chair so my rear was on the edge. I laid my head back against the back of the chair. "I don't know what to do, Jess. I've talked about this with Dean already, he's not going to let me go, and I told him I didn't want him to let me go. I want to be with him."

_"And what about Robert?"_

"I ... I told him I still love him."

_"Damn, you really did fuck this shit up, didn't you?"_

"I'm in a mess, Jess! I really am! I don't even know how to fix it."

_"What about Dean?"_

"I love both of them. I really do, but that just makes everything even worse."

 _"Alright,"_ Jess sighed through the phone, _"what you need to do is pros and cons for each of them."_

"I can't do this, Jess! How in the world is that fair to either of them? I've told them both I want to be with Dean, that I'm in love with him. That should be enough."

_"But you also told Robert you still love him, Chelle. You're in a mess and you're the only one who can get yourself out of it. How else do you expect to figure it out without doing this?"_

I grumbled. As much as I loved my best friend, and as much as I loved her helping me through things, I hated that she was always right.

_"So figure it out, and I'll talk to you later. Chris is calling."_

I smiled. "Tell him hi for me. Bye."

I sighed, putting the phone down and picking up my fork. I knew she was right, but I had no idea how I was supposed to figure out the pros and cons to being with each of them. I loved them both too much, but to even be worrying about all of this, despite what I've said about being with Dean, even Jess knew that I wasn't convinced that's what I really wanted. But it shouldn't be about convincing myself. It should be about who I love and who I want to be with. Unfortunately, the answer to that was still both of them. I hated it and I was going to deny feeling like that for Robert with everything I had as long as I could.

* * *

Before I could even focus on what Jess told me to do, I had to find out who the father was. I had always said that I wouldn't have another child until I was married again, but that had changed. I'd never been particularly careful when having sex. I hated condoms, and I'd probably only ever used them a few times in my life. I know that wasn't very smart, especially considering how easily STDs were transferred, but the physical pleasure of the moment seemed to be more important to me than the consequences.

Even now, I wouldn't change anything I'd done up to now. It was who I was. I had been married when I had my children, but that didn't mean I was in love with their father. And that had turned around to bite me in the ass as well. He ended up being neglectful and abusive. Whether he knew I didn't love him was another was no justification for what my children and I had to go through.

Dean and I sat in the Santa Monica Women's Health Center waiting for my appointment with my doctor. I chose her the way I chose all my other doctors, by the fact that she was a woman. In St. George, there were only two women doctors, so the choice was a little more narrow. But in Southern California, I had hundreds of choices. I chose Sheryl Ross because the office wasn't far from where I lived and she had similar credentials to my OBGYN in Utah.

I was nervous. I didn't want to find out Dean wasn't the father. He had already told me that he would love _our_ child whether he was the father or not. I knew he meant it too. He already loved my children just as much as I loved Christopher, but would that be enough? Would he still want to be with me down the line if the baby wasn't his? I was afraid that the answer wasn't yes.

"Michelle?"

I looked up when the nurse called my name, nervous, but Sheryl didn't even know why we were here yet. This was just our regular appointment, only the third one I'd had since I found out I was pregnant. She didn't know we were coming in to ask her to do a paternity test. I felt horrible that I even had to ask for one. I knew she probably did a handful of these at any given time, but I still felt like a whore for asking. I could only imagine what she really thought of women who asked for one.

Dean turned to me, his arm giving me a gentle hug. "Come on, baby. We can do this."

I nodded and stood with him, following the nurse. Stopping, she asked me to step into the restroom to give a urine sample and said that she'd lead Dean back into the exam room. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I stepped into the restroom. As I stood at the sink washing my hands after putting the cup in the little cupboard passageway between the bathroom and the lab, I stared at myself in the mirror.

"How much more can you fuck up your life?"

Shaking my head, I rinsed off my hands and dried them before heading out. The nurse met me outside the door and led me back to the room she had left Dean in, telling me to undress from the waist down and Sheryl would be with us in a few minutes. She left us alone and I turned to Dean, biting my lip.

"I don't want to do this."

Standing, he took my trembling hands in his. "We have to do all have to know."

I love how he kept saying we for everything. He didn't say _you_ have to do this, or _Robert_ needs to know. This was something we all needed, and even though I was scared of the answer, one way or the other, I knew he was right. Pulling my hands from his, I turned my back to him.

"Can you unzip me?"

He unzipped the zipper at the back of my skirt and I turned back to face him, shimmying out of it. I folded it and laid it on the arm of the chair Dean had been sitting on before starting to slide down my panties.

"Wait," Dean stopped me, grabbing my hands. "Let me."

Biting my lip, I nodded my head knowing my cheeks were beet red again. "Alright..."

Dean slipped his hands down under the band of my panties and slowly pushed them off my hips. Crouching down to help me step out of them and allowing me to brace myself on his shoulders, he pressed a soft kiss to the firm bulge of my stomach. Closing my eyes, I licked my lips. Even though I was sure this wasn't meant to be completely sexual, I couldn't help the moan that escaped from my lips. The fire burned in his eyes as well when he looked up at me.

"I don't think we have time, baby."

I shook my head, biting my lip even more. "I don't think so either."

"We can find a supply closet after this. Just like a hospital drama."

I couldn't help but laugh, pulling him up to wrap my arms around him. "God, Dean. I love you!"

He turned his head into my hair, inhaling me in. "I love you, baby."

I smiled and pulled back from him and he helped me up onto the exam table, handing me the blanket the nurse had laid there to lay over my lap.

"You can do this."

I nodded, trying to give him a reassuring smile. "Thank you for being here with me, Dean. I couldn't do it without you."

"Yeah, you could," he assured me, kissing my forehead. "You're stronger than you think."

I bit my lip and turned my head when I heard the door handle turn. Sheryl popped her head in.

"We ready in here?"

Nodding, I gave her a smile. I didn't feel it though. I was too nervous. She shut the door and looked to both of us.

"This is the father?"

If she knew who he was, she wasn't letting on. For the most part, doctors in Southern California knew how to react to celebrities. They thankfully didn't make a big deal out of things. I wouldn't want her to. Dean wasn't Dean Cain actor right now, he was Dean, father of my baby. Or at least I hoped he was. It would make my life a lot easier.

"Actually," I winced a bit, "We were wondering if you could..." I looked up at Dean and he nodded, giving me a reassuring smile. Looking back at Sheryl, I sighed heavily. "Are you able to do a DNA test?"

"Oh." She hadn't been expecting that. "Of course I can."

I knew she didn't need an explanation, but I didn't want her thinking I cheated on Dean. "I was with someone else before Dean and I got together. I talked to him recently and I realized that either he or Dean could be the father. "

"How long was it between the time you were with this other man and Dean?"

"A week, exactly."

"A DNA test may not be necessary. If you know the dates you were with each of them, we can do an ultrasound. It can measure your baby's growth and tell you when you approximately conceived."

"How accurate is that?" I asked, looking up at Dean who was holding my hand and back to Sheryl.

"It isn't as accurate, but it's easier. No needles involved." I hadn't been seeing Sheryl long, but she knew that even though I could handle needles, I really didn't like them. I also knew the size of the needle they'd have to use to get a DNA sample from my baby, and I didn't even want to think about it. "With the week between, it will be accurate enough. It will also be less intrusive into your privacy."

I looked up to Dean to see if he was alright with it. He nodded his head, looking over at the doctor. I liked that this would be more private than the DNA test would be. Not everyone needed to know if the baby was Dean's or not. She could tell us when the baby was conceived and not have to know from me whether he was or wasn't the father.

"Can we do it now?"

"Of course." Sheryl placed the file she had been carrying on the computer table and wheeled it over closer to us. "You're familiar with this? It's called a sonogram."

I nodded my head. Of course I remembered. Being pregnant was one of the two greatest experiences of my life. I loved my children and I loved being pregnant with them. Being able to see my babies on a screen just made it even more amazing to me.

"Go ahead and lay back."

Dean helped me lay down and I pulled my shirt up slightly, tucking the blanket just below my stomach. Dean let his fingers softly brush along the tiny bump there. I loved this man, more than I ever thought I could. Dr. Ross squirted some lubricant on my stomach before placing the sonogram wand on my stomach. I smiled up at Dean who was watching the monitor closely. The 3D images registered on the screen and I bit my lip, nibbling on it slightly. I was praying to God that the baby was his. I didn't want to see the happiness leave his face. He didn't seem to be nervous at all, but even Superman had his moments.

"Your baby is growing really nicely. I can tell how long you've been pregnant and I can also tell you whether you're having a girl or a boy. Would you like to know?"

I took a deep breath and Dean's hand was immediately grasping mine. He looked over at me, nodding to give me the courage I needed to do this. I wish I was half as strong as he was. Giving him a soft smile, I nodded my head, looking back to Sheryl.

"Yes."

"It looks as though your little girl is almost eighteen weeks."

I closed my eyes, not wanting Dr. Ross to see exactly how I was feeling, relief or that I was upset. I wasn't going to let my feelings show until we were alone. It wasn't as though I didn't trust her, it just wasn't anyone's business other than Dean's, mine, and Robert's. Opening my eyes, I gave her a slight smile.

"Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome. I've taken pictures," she said, pulling them from the printer beneath the computer and handing them over to me.

I took the small printouts in my hand, looking up at Dean. He was remaining stoic as well. I wanted to hug him, I wanted to just let it all out, but I wasn't going to do so until we were alone.

"Have you been feeling alright? Morning sickness? Anything unusual?"

I shook my head, hoping my voice wouldn't betray me. "No. Everything's been fine. Thank you, doctor."

She smiled, nodding her head. "Go ahead and make an appointment for a month from now. Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you," I whispered, taking the tissues she had been using to clean up my stomach.

I knew she could tell that we wanted to be alone. I really just wanted to be home right now, but I wasn't too sure home would be home anymore. Dean wasn't saying anything. I didn't know what to say. Sorry? It just didn't seem right. It wasn't as though I had cheated on him. I loved him. But he hadn't even known I had slept with or even been with Robert prior to us getting together. It was almost though I had cheated on him.

"I don't know what to say," my voice finally cracked, the end coming out in no more than a whisper.

"We don't have to talk about it."

My heart felt like it was breaking in my chest, literally. "I wanted this baby to be yours, Dean. So badly I did."

"When are you telling him?"

Closing my eyes, I shook my head and pulled down my shirt. I was sure we were through. He didn't want me anymore now that I was carrying another man's child. The fact that I was having another little girl wasn't even the topic of discussion. If we had found out the baby had been his, then we would have been overjoyed to be having a girl. As it was, it wasn't the most pertinent bit of information.

"It's probably best if I tell him in person." I hadn't planned on heading out to New York City, but he needed to know. "I'll leave T2 with my sister and I'll go out with Jess this weekend."

Chris wanted Jess to come out and spend her Spring break with him even though he was on set, and I knew she was leaving tomorrow after her last class. I'd talk to her and then see if I can get a seat out on the same flight.

He nodded, reaching over and handing me my skirt and panties. "We should go."

Instead of taking the clothes from him, I took his hand, grasping onto it securely. "Dean..."

His eyes connected with mine and I couldn't keep the tears at bay anymore, several cascading down from my eyes. "I love you. I don't want this to change anything between us."

Even through the veil of tears, I could see his lip quiver as he shook his head. "We're fine, Chelle. This doesn't change how I feel about you."

"I know saying I'm sorry doesn't change anything, Dean, but I wish I could make you feel better."

He lifted my hand, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles. "Let's just go home," he whispered, turning his head down.

I took my clothes from him and slid off the table to put them on. I knew how badly Dean hurt. I hadn't wanted this to be the answer we got, but I had been afraid of it since I even thought Dean might not be the father. I hadn't wanted to tell Robert the baby was his. Not because him being the father was a terrible thing, but aside from the obvious with Dean not being the father, now that I knew Robert was, I was sad because he had missed almost half of the pregnancy.

That didn't mean I was leaving Dean to be with him just because he was the father. I was in love with Dean and I wanted to be with him, as long as he wanted me. And even though I still loved Robert, and now I knew I was having his baby, I wasn't going to leave Dean to be with him. Our ship had sailed months ago. It was what it was, as much as I hated that expression.

* * *

I told Jess I didn't want Robert to know I was coming to New York. I couldn't ask her not to tell Chris, but I knew I could trust him not to tell Robert himself. I was sure that the two of them thought I was going out there be with him, but all I was going for was to tell him he was going to be a father and for us to figure out what we were going to do about our daughter. It was better to do it face to face, even though I wasn't looking forward to it by any means.

Jess and I took a car that Chris had waiting for us at the airport to the set location. I rode in silence, nervous and anxious to see Robert after all this time. If Jess had tried talking to me, she had given up by now and and was actually being silent as well. I really just wanted to focus on remaining calm and not chickening out. Yes, I was all the way out here, but that didn't mean I still couldn't forget it and go home.

The car stopped on the side of the street and the driver came around to open the door for us. I looked around, instantly spotting the set, looking back at Jess.

"I can't do this, Jess. I can't!"

"You just flew almost 2800 miles to tell him. I'm not going to let you back down now.

Narrowing my eyes on her, I pursed my lips briefly. "You're not helping at all."

She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the set. My heart was racing. I couldn't breathe very easily. I really didn't want to do this, but Jess was right. Aside from that, he had a right to know, if anything else.

Set security gave us clearance, knowing who Jess was and we continued over to where Chris and Robert were talking to Joss Whedon and a few of the other cast members. Chris looked up and smiled brightly at Jess when he saw her before nudging Robert slightly. Robert looked over at Chris, shaking his head curtly. I could tell he wasn't in the best of moods, and considering he was always happy, it was a bit difficult to take in.

Robert looked over in the direction Chris had pointed, toward us and immediately his disposition changed. He left everyone standing where they were and ran over to me. Before I had any idea what was happening, his arms were wrapped around me and my feet were lifted from the ground, causing a high pitched squeal to escape from my mouth.

"You're here! You're really here," Robert's voice was a soft breeze through my hair, making chills dance along my spine.

His arms had always felt amazing around me and I was almost able to forget the last several months and melt into him. My stomach was instantly calmed and I wondered if it was because the baby knew I was with her father. He pulled back but only to press his lips to mine. I was lost in him. Everything else around us, everything that had happened between us and me being with Dean wasn't even evident at the moment. The only thing that was even registering to me was Robert's lips on mine.

"I've missed you, Chelle. God, I've missed you."

I moaned softly, pulling back to look at him. It was only then that reality sank back in on me and I realized where we were, all the people standing around us and why I was there to begin with. Pushing myself away from him, I wrapped my arms around myself, keeping my focus on him and trying not to freak out.

"Can we talk when you're done here?"

Robert looked around, possibly forgetting where he had been as well. "Yeah. We've still got quite a bit to do here, but you can go to my hotel room. Wait for me there."

Closing my eyes, I nodded. Turning to find Jess, I saw her in Chris' arms, the looks on each of their faces identically ashen. Even though I knew where we were, only after seeing their faces did I realize that it was only a matter of time before the world was going to know about this. I had to get somewhere private so I could call Dean. I had called when I landed, but he hadn't answered, so I left a message. I really needed to talk to him now before he heard about this from someone else.

Three hours later, I still hadn't gotten a hold of Dean and he hadn't called me back. I hadn't wanted to stay alone in Robert's room even though he had called ahead to the hotel and authorized them to give me a key. I hadn't asked for it when we arrived, just going with Jess to Chris' room instead. I didn't want to be alone. I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep until Jess shook my shoulder, telling me they were here and they'd be right up.

I sat up in a flash. Suddenly, I was panicked again. Quickly, I reached for my phone, hoping I had missed a call from Dean and I could put this off because I was on the phone with him. No luck. I texted him quickly, asking him to call me as soon as he could.

"I really can't do this, Jess. I can't be alone with him."

If anyone knew how I was feeling, it was Jess. She was the only one who I had called at two in the morning, crying because I was in love with him, and even though she knew I had been with married men before, I'd never fallen in love with them. But I had already been infatuated with him beyond words when I had met him, falling in love with him had been so easy. Had he not shown interest in return, I could have easily walked away from that experience with nothing more than just the experience. As it was, I was left with all these lingering feelings and a baby I hadn't planned on. That didn't mean I didn't love her with all my heart, and Robert had every right to know her and love her the way I did.

I heard the door open and my eyes shot wide open. Quickly pushing myself from the couch, I had to think quickly. "I'm... I need to use the bathroom. I'll be back."

I had been able to duck out before I even saw Robert. I just needed a moment to gather my thoughts. I hadn't meant to fall asleep, and I wasn't sure how I could have fallen asleep when I was so anxious. But I remember it being like that when I was pregnant before. I fell asleep so easily, being tired all the time.

I stared at myself in the mirror for the longest time. What happened to me? I had been so strong before I got pregnant, but now that I was pregnant, I was scared to be around him. Was that it? I knew the pregnancy hadn't made me weak. It had to be the hormones. I knew how much I was still in love with Robert, and it had been difficult to keep from falling into bed with him before, now that my hormones were heightened, I was afraid I was going to slip and I would end up hurting Dean in the aftermath. That was something I didn't want.

After what seemed like an eternity, I headed out to the living area of the suite to see Robert and Chris finishing setting up the table near the balcony door with some food.

"They brought up dinner," Jess said coming back into the room from the kitchen area with two beers in hand.

"I brought some cranberry juice for you, baby."

My eyes snapped over at Robert. Not because he'd brought my favorite juice, but because he'd called me baby. "Don't do that."

He held his hands up in surrender and I could tell he was trying to hide a snicker. "Ok. Ok."

"Can we eat now?"

I smiled over at Chris, nodding. I still hadn't left the spot I had stopped on when I'd come into the room until Jess came up beside me, grabbing my arm.

"Come on. I know you've got to be starving."

She pulled me over toward the table and Chris leaned over to me, wrapping an arm around me to give me a brief hug.

"How are you feeling, Chelle?"

"I'm great!" I lied. Physically I was fine, but emotionally, I was flipping out. "Jess is right though. I'm starving."

Robert pulled out a chair and looked over at me. "Your seat, my dear."

I pursed my lips tightly together before shaking my head and accepting the seat. He sat down beside me and Jess sat on the other side with Chris across the table from me. They had brought Chinese back and my mouth was watering Robert knew all my favorite foods and I couldn't help but smile, looking over at him.

"Thank you," I spoke softly, my grumbly tone disappearing.

Robert smiled over at me, handing me a pair of chopsticks. "Qǐng màn yòng."

I bit my lip, feeling the red flow into my cheeks. I didn't understand Chinese, but he'd told me a while ago that that basically meant the same as the French "bon appétit" and I loved that he was as fascinated with languages and knew little things like that like I did.

I took the chopsticks from him, our fingers brushing against each others. I felt my heart jump in my chest and quickly looked down at my food. I didn't want him to know the effect he was having on me. I had been so nervous before he got here, but just sitting with him like this, even though my best friend and her boyfriend were sitting here at the table with us, I felt as calm around him as ever. He always had the ability to make me feel comfortable despite everything going through my head.

We ate, talking about the movie, talking about Jess' classes, talking about anything but the baby. Robert had asked how I liked working with Angry Dragon Entertainment. I knew that was his polite way of asking me what it was like with Dean, but I wasn't going to get too personal. I said it was different working on a TV show. It was a whole lot more demanding, nothing telling of my relationship with Dean.

When we were finished eating, Chris and Jess started cleaning up and Robert helped me from my chair. "I can't tell you how surprised I was to see you today", he spoke quietly as we walked over toward the couch.

"I wanted to tell you in person. This wasn't something I wanted to say over the phone."

He nodded, sitting with me on the couch. Biting my lip, I swallowed hard, smiling brightly just for him.

"We're having a girl, Robert! She's a girl."

He looked down at my stomach and quickly back up at me. "W... We?" He nodded his head, asking if it was him and me having this child.

Licking my lips, I swallowed hard, not wanting to bawl. "Yes, Robert," I whispered. "We are having a little girl, Robert. You and me."

He wrapped his arms around me and I couldn't help but fall willingly into them. I wasn't going to cry. I was trying so hard not to cry, but I was so confused, so conflicted. If only I would have given him a chance to tell me about the divorce that day at the junket, we wouldn't have been apart this long. But then, I wouldn't have met Dean and fallen in love with him. I didn't want to leave him. I loved him, but I felt the same way for Robert. I didn't know what I was going to do. I messed up things more than I could ever hope to fix them.

"How about a movie?"

I pulled back, looking back up at Jess and Chris who had come back into the room. She stood at his side, his arm wrapped around her, their beers still in each of their hands. They were the perfect couple. Things were so uncomplicated with the two of them. Yes, they dealt with Chris' career, but Jess was a strong, independent woman. She wasn't going to fall apart every time he left to go on location. She had her own career to keep herself busy.

"I was kinda hoping Chelle and I could talk."

Oh God, I thought to myself. I couldn't be alone with him. Things were already starting to be too comfortable with the two of us, like things hadn't gone the way they had, and that was exactly why I couldn't be this close to him. I couldn't be alone with him. I looked up to Jess, pleading with her with my eyes, begging her not to let that happen.

"You can talk later," Chris offered. "It's still early. Let's see what's on tv."

I smiled, thanking Chris in my head. Robert looked over at me, I guess to see if this was what I wanted. Honestly, I wasn't going to tell him what I wanted. Even if I knew what I wanted, I knew I couldn't or shouldn't think that way. I knew it wasn't right to want both Robert and Dean, it wouldn't even be fair to either of them, but that's what would make me happy. The more I was thinking about it, the more I was sure I was going to have to really decide. I couldn't just stay with Dean because I was with him and we had a life together, but I couldn't just leave Dean to be with Robert so we could raise our baby together. I had to decide, and I knew I had no idea how I was going to.

I ended up falling asleep, resting back on Robert's chest. I was happy and content. I had his arms around me and nothing else in the world mattered. I knew I'd feel differently later, but for the moment, I was going to enjoy it. Jess wasn't going to tell Dean. I'd probably hear about it later, even though I knew she thought I should be with Robert, that didn't change the fact that I was with Dean and he deserved better than to have me cheating on him.

I felt Robert's lips press against my forehead and I opened my eyes. The movie was over and I knew it was late. I was tired, even though I slept all the time.

"We should go to bed."

My eyes widened, but before I could say or do anything, Jess spoke up beside me. "I think Chelle is going to be spending the night with Chris and me."

I looked over at her and I knew what she was doing, and I was glad she said something, knowing I probably couldn't have myself.

"I think Chelle is a grown woman. She can decide where she's sleeping."

I pursed my lips, thanking Robert for the way he phrased that. "As long as sleeping is all that's done."

"Chelle."

I looked over at Jess, scrunching my nose up. Pushing myself to stand up and out of Robert's arms, I took Jess' hand, and pulled her over to the balcony. Once the door was shut, I turned toward her, shaking my head.

"You know, I love that you're trying to help me, but you're making me even more confused than I already am!" It wasn't meant to be upset, more of me getting more and more frustrated with myself. "I know you want me with Robert, and I love that you're trying to help me not fall back into his arms," figuratively, of course. I'd already been laying in his arms for who knows how long just barely. "But it's just confusing me even more. How can I stay strong if you're making me even more confused than I already am?"

Jess looked through the closed glass door at Robert and Chris who were sitting on the couch and then back to me. "I know if things were up to you, you wouldn't have to decide, but you keep saying you want to be with Dean, that you're in love with him, but you are in love with Robert too. I don't think it's fair to either one of them to let things go on the way they are. You need to tell each of them how you're feeling. And I'm not telling you what to do, but I know how hard this is on you, and I'm the only one who can help you out of this."

Turning my head down, I turned toward the balcony, leaning my arms against the top of the balustrade and leaning my head down on my arms. "Why do I always fuck things up like this?"

I felt Jess' hand on my back and closed my eyes, trapping the tears there. I hated that I felt so weak. Not only was I afraid of being alone with Robert because I knew exactly what could happen, I was crying all the time. I hated crying. I rarely cried, but when I was pregnant, I cried all the time.

"You're not always fucking things up, Chelle, but yes your life is really fucked up right now. You don't want to do anything else to fuck it up even more."

Standing up, I pressed my fingers into my spine. "I just need to go to bed."

"With Robert?"

"There's only one bed here, Jess. I'm not sleeping on the couch."

Jess rolled her eyes. "I wasn't going to make you sleep on the couch."

"Oh, threesome in your bed?"

"No!" She laughed, shaking her head. "But you can get a room. It's not like you can't afford it now."

Neither of us had grown up accustomed to these types of hotels, but she was dating Chris now and stayed with him in his hotel rooms quite often. I wasn't an actor making beaucoup bucks, but she was right, I could afford it now.

"Is sleeping in the same bed as Robert cheating on Dean?"

"This is Robert we're talking about, Chelle. You're not _just_ going to be sleeping."

I sighed, shaking my head. "He was a perfect gentleman the whole time we were together. If I don't want to do anything, he won't."

"I don't think it's a good idea, and I know you don't either."

She was right. I was making excuses. I really just wanted to sleep with his arms around me. But was that cheating on Dean to want another man's arms around me? Robert was the father of my daughter. Wasn't that enough to justify it? I knew it wouldn't be enough to make it right in any way.

"You're right. I just wish I hadn't messed things up like this. There's so many things running through my head, aside from just all of that. I mean like, I should have just let Robert tell me he filed that day, or ..." I shook my head. "I can't think like that. I don't regret any decision I've ever made. If I did, that would mean I regret having my children, and they are the only thing in this world that has ever made me truly happy. I don't regret them."

"Let's go back in, sweets. I'll send Chris up to Robert's room. You can stay here with me."

I shook my head defiantly. "Oh, no! You came out here to spend time with Chris. I'm not intruding."

"You're not sleeping in Robert's bed either."

"I'll go get myself a room. I just need to get some sleep."

"That's a good idea," Jess agreed.

We walked back in and I smiled at Robert as he and Chris stood off the couch. "I'm tired, I need to get some sleep." Robert looked like he was about to celebrate and I shook my head. "Could you escort me to the front desk so I can get a room?"

Robert's face fell and he looked as though I'd run over his llama. Nodding his head, he gave in. "Come on. Let's get you checked in."

I smiled at Jess, showing her that everything was ok. "I'll have the bellhop come up and get my bags after I have my room."

"Call me if you need anything."

"I will." I smiled and grabbed my purse, pulling it over my shoulder and turning to Robert. "Shall we?"

He nodded, giving me a smile. "We shall." He patted Chris on the back. "See you bright and early, Cap."

Chris shook his head at his character's nickname, laughing. "Good night, Robert. Good night, Chelle."

I smiled at Chris. "Good night."

Robert and I left the room and walked toward the elevator, silent. He pushed the elevator button and turned to look at me. I could feel his gaze beating down on me like the hot summer sun. Turning to him, I licked my lips.

"You sure you want your own room?"

I couldn't help the blush that quickly spread over my cheeks. "It's best, Robert."

"We need to talk."

I nodded softly. "I know we do, but me spending the night with you isn't a good idea. I will not cheat on Dean."

I hadn't wanted to let him cheat on Susan, and even though I thought I had let that happen, we hadn't. (Not really, he had filed. He may have still been married at the time, but I had said I wouldn't do anything until he filed.) I may not be married to Dean, but I was with him, he and I were living with our children as a family. We may as well be married.

But the truth of the matter was, we hadn't had a real conversation since before I went to see Dr. Ross yesterday. For all I know, in Dean's mind, we may already not be together, but until I knew for sure where I stood with him, I was still acting as though we were together. I wasn't going to cheat on him no matter how badly I wanted to go back to Robert's room right now and make love to him.

Honestly, I had been raised to believe that even thinking like that was cheating, but you can control your body more than you can control your thoughts. I couldn't stop how much I was thinking about how good it would feel to go upstairs and roll around with Robert in the sheets right now, but I could stop myself from actually doing it.

"Can we get a drink downstairs? Hot chocolate. I know how you like a mug before bedtime."

He knew me so well. We may not have lived together like Dean and me, but Robert knew me. He knew what I liked, he knew what made me throw up (because of my gastric bypass), and he knew what I didn't like at all. He knew colors I liked. He knew about my love/hate relationship with my hair and all that entails. He knew things that Dean and I just didn't talk about because Robert and I had talked all the time.

Our relationship had started out on a mutual appreciation for the other's talents. I had loved him as an actor for as long as I can remember. I loved him from the first time I saw _Weird Science_ and _Soapdish_. Then when I met him, he told me he loved my script and he and I had hit it off from that moment. We had an amazing working relationship before he revealed how he was feeling toward me, and then even after that, our relationship really didn't change all that much. We still talked. We still spent time together...

That was at least until I pushed him away and told him that we couldn't be together anymore. I really didn't want to hurt Susan, even though we had and she didn't even know. I felt bad, but that was all in the past now. She'd find out sooner or later that we were fooling around behind her back once the world knew about the baby. I wouldn't be surprised if she'd already seen the pictures from earlier.

I thought about Dean again and wondered why he hadn't called me yet. Maybe he'd seen the pictures too. Maybe that's why he wasn't calling me back. I put him out of my head. I couldn't focus on him right now. I had to focus on Robert right now and our baby and our plans for her.

"Hot chocolate sounds good." I smiled softly at him and stepped into the elevator as the door opened.

He stepped in and pressed the button for the lobby. The door shut behind him and he stepped up closer to me. I looked up at him and I could feel my temperature rising, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

"Robert, I-"

"I promise I won't do ... too much," he whispered warmly against my lips.

Allowing him to kiss me was something I knew I shouldn't have done. It was bad enough that I was still in love with him and was having the thoughts about him that I was, but letting him kiss me was just as bad as actually spending the night with him.

The elevator doors opened and I was still in Robert's arms, his lips pressed passionately against my own. It wasn't long before we heard the flash of cameras, instantly turning our faces toward them. Bad idea. The photographers were able to snap a few more pictures before the elevator doors closed when Robert pushed the button to take us back up to his room.

This whole situation just escalated and I knew no amount of explaining now would convince Dean I hadn't come here to tell Robert I wanted to be with him now that I knew I was carrying his baby. I hadn't done anything like that, but I knew there was no reason he should believe me. That didn't mean I was just going to let myself fall into Robert's bed and prove to Dean and the rest of the world that what they now thought was true.

But I went to his room anyway.

Robert had contacted the head of the security detail that had been hired while they filmed, telling them to get in touch with the hotel security and work together to get those vultures out of the lobby and a respectable distance from the hotel. He hung up the phone just as we got to his suite.

"They will be taken care of soon." He unlocked the door, letting me walk in ahead of him. "Then you can get your room."

I turned to him, facing him as he shut the door. "That won't be necessary, Bob."

He narrowed his eyes on me, stepping closer to me and almost closing the distance between the two of us. I lifted my hand, pressing it to his chest to keep at least some space between us.

"I didn't mean it like that, Robert."

He let his head fall and I took his hands in mine. He looked back at me. I loved him, I really loved him, but I owed more to Dean than this. We had begun to build a life together, we were preparing for this baby together. It didn't matter to me that he wasn't the father. I loved him and I wasn't going to cheat on him more than I already had. Even though we hadn't really talked since before my appointment yesterday, I was still in love with him, and even though I was in love with Robert as well, I wasn't going to cheat on him.

"Can we please just talk?" I almost pleaded with him.

"Let's talk." He smiled, placing his hand on my back and leading me over to the couch.

He helped me sit down and I smiled at him. "I'm sorry we didn't know until now that she's yours," I spoke softly, looking down at my stomach. "Before I talked to you on the phone that other day, I didn't even think it was possible, I didn't even think about it."

"But you do know she is mine now?" he asked, placing his hand on my stomach.

I smiled even more at him, turning my face back up to him. "Yes. I wouldn't be here if she wasn't, Bob."

"I love it when you call me that, baby."

I blushed, biting my lip. "I do love you, Bob, but I love Dean too. I can't just cheat on him because I do love you, anymore than I could let you cheat on Susan before."

"You're too good for me, Chelle. You always have been."

I shook my head, but I couldn't help the smile that softened on my face. "No, I'm not, but I do care about other's feelings. I don't like seeing people in pain if I can prevent it."

Lifting his hand, he ran his fingers through my hair. "You've got the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known."

"I've just been hurt far too many times to deliberately hurt anyone else," I told him, turning my face into his hand.

"Is there any chance that we could ever have what we should have had, baby?"

Closing my eyes, I swallowed hard. "The truth is, I have no idea where things stand with Dean and me." I sighed, looking back at him. "Things haven't been the same since I told him she may not be his."

"Lots of men have a hard time raising another man's child."

"But he was raised by a man who wasn't his biological father, and they are closer than some biological fathers and sons."

"You can't make him feel what he can't, Chelle."

Shaking my head, I leaned back against the couch. "That's easy for you to say, you're the father of the child in question and you're in love with me."

"No arguments there."

I smiled, shaking my head at him. "He said he would love us even if he wasn't the father, but that was before my ultrasound yesterday."

"Ult-Ultrasound?"

I smiled even brighter, sitting up and opening my purse. "I brought pictures."

Robert sat up, eager beside me. I smiled, turning to him.

"Here she is," I told him, showing him the first picture of our daughter from head to toe "She's not that big, but she's beautiful." The pictures were all 3D, just like the sonogram had been. "She'll be eighteen weeks this weekend."

"She is beautiful, baby!"

I smiled, flipping to the next picture, a close up on her face. "She's already got a fire to her. You can tell she's your daughter." It may not be a picture of her directly, but you could see already in her facial features that have formed.

"She looks like you."

I handed him the pictures. "These are for you."

He took them from me, looking through the rest of them. "I can't believe how beautiful she is. Twenty-two more weeks?"

I nodded. "I'm going to be pregnant all summer long. Not my favorite time to be pregnant." I shrugged. "Well, at least I won't have to worry about slipping and falling on the ice."

Robert turned to me. "I don't want to miss anything more, Chelle. I know you're not going to cheat on Dean, but I want to be involved with you in the pregnancy. I don't want to be away from you or miss any prenatal appointments unnecessarily. I want to be with you, Chelle. I want to be with you and our little girl."

"I'm not going to keep your daughter from you, Bob, but I can't make any promises I can't keep. Before I do anything, I have to figure out what's happening between Dean and me."

Nodding, he took my hands in his. "I won't pressure you, baby. I waited months for you before, I can wait a little longer."

Smiling brightly, I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his. It was my first initially voluntary indiscretion. I wasn't going to let anything more happen between us, but a kiss wasn't going to do any more harm than the first two, and this one had been private.

* * *

I hadn't heard from Dean the whole weekend. I flew home Monday morning and my sister picked me up at the airport. If it wasn't for T2 being unable to keep secrets too easily, she wouldn't even know I was pregnant, but as it was, my children have big mouths and my family knows. But no one but Robert, Dean and I know the baby isn't Dean's. If T2 knew, the whole world would know, and Robert and I both agreed that unless things with Dean and me didn't work out, no one would ever know.

I didn't know what to expect when I got home... or if I even had a home to come home to.

When my sister picked me up at the airport, my children were excited to see me. They were even more excited to tell me they had a surprise at home for me. None of them would tell me what was going on, and when I got home, they told me they'd see me later and my sister left with my children in the van.

Turning toward the house, I saw Dean standing in the doorway waiting for me. Slowly, I headed up the walkway toward him. I had been so worried that he didn't want anything to do with me anymore. I was sure he had seen all the photos already. There's no way he wouldn't have. They were everywhere. But the look on his face was anything but what I had expected to see.

I took a tentative step up the stairs in front of the door. Turning my head to the side, I licked my lips. "You didn't answer you phone..."

He smiled, reaching his hand out to me. "I was in Colorado all weekend. Left my phone home."

Nodding slowly, I hesitantly lifted my hand. He smiled, reaching out and grabbing my hand, pulling me toward him. I fell against his chest in a soft thud and looked up into his eyes. I had no idea what was going on here.

"I missed you."

His lips came down on mine and I melted into him. Whatever was going on had left me confused. And breathless. He pulled me into the house and shut the door, moving his hands from where he was holding me, to cup my face.

"I really missed you."

He kissed me again and I couldn't help but moan softly into his mouth. When we both needed to breathe, he pulled back, looking me over.

"Are you ok? How was your flight?"

I only realized now that I had been silent since he pulled me into his arms. "I... I..." I didn't know what to say. Did he NOT see the photos? I didn't have clue one. "Dean..." I shook my head. "Are we... are we ok?"

He smiled brightly, nodding his head and I could tell he was a little nervous. "Unless you tell me differently."

Swallowing, I looked down at the floor. "If you've been in Colorado..." I took a breath, looking up at him. "Have you not seen any magazines?"

It was big news. Robert's divorce had kept a silent hum on the celebrity news wire, but once the first photo of us hit the wire, it went viral. I couldn't believe that he hadn't even seen at least one photo since he got home if he hadn't seen one the entire time he was in Colorado. Beyond that, I couldn't believe none of them had approached him or something like Entertainment Tonight hadn't contacted him for a statement. He had to know about it. There's no way he couldn't.

"I figured with all the messages you left me, there had to be an explanation," he shook his head, "but can we not talk about it just yet? I have something for you."

Biting my lip, I turned my head slightly to gauge him. I had no idea what was going on here. He wasn't all that upset. In fact, he seemed a little bit excited. Over what, I wasn't sure, but this must be the surprise T2 told me about in the car on the way home.

"Come with me."

He led me upstairs toward our bedroom and opened the door slowly. Inside, he had set up countless candles. The lavender and vanilla aroma wafting through the room was almost intoxicating. He closed the door, even though we were home alone, and left me standing in the middle of the room. He picked up a big long, rectangular box, handing it over to me.

"Open."

Biting my lip, I untied the velvet Persian indigo ribbon, letting it fall to the floor and taking the lid off the box. Inside was a bouquet of lilies. Near the ribbon wrapped around the stems of the flowers was a tiny velvet box, both of them matching the ribbon on the floor. Biting my lip, I looked up at him, tears glistening in my eyes.

"Dean...?"

He smiled, taking the velvet box out of the big box and taking them from me before setting it down on the bed. Turning back to me, he knelt on one knee. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. I never expected this in a million years. He took my hand in his and a few tears dropped from my eyes.

"Don't cry. Please don't cry."

I wiped my face, swallowing the hard lump in my throat. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please... Please don't stop."

He shook his head. "No chance." He pulled my hand up to his lips, kissing it gently and smiling up at me from where he knelt before me on the floor, opening the box so I could see the ring he'd picked out for me. "I know we haven't known each other all that long, but I can't picture my life without you. I only want to make you happy, Chelle. I want to raise our family with you. I want to be a family, all six of us. We're a bit mixed, but that's ok. I love you and I want to be with you forever. Michelle Marie Frost, will you be my wife? Will you marry me?"

I felt my knees going weak. Everything else in the world disappeared and there was only him and me. I knew he loved me. I knew he wanted to be with me, and that's all that mattered. I knew he would take care of me and I knew he would love my children, all three of them, no questions. I knew it. Swallowing again, I nodded excitedly.

"Yes! Yes, Dean! I will! I will marry you!"

My answer came out in a burst of words and I could tell I had honestly shocked him. He instantly relaxed before sliding the platinum ring on my finger. Standing quickly, he wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to mine, kissing me deeply. Lifting me in his arms, he turned and laid me down on the bed before laying down beside me.

"I love you, Chelle. I always will."

Lifting my hand, I caressed his neck. "I love you, always."

* * *

I had called Robert later on when Dean went to pick up the children. I felt bad. I felt horrible. I wanted to cry. I wished society wasn't so judgemental about unconventionality. But even if unconventional relationships were accepted, that didn't mean that both Dean and Robert would want to share me, even if that's what I really wanted. I couldn't ask them to. It wouldn't be fair to either of them.

I told Robert that I loved him, but I wasn't leaving Dean. Robert vowed he wasn't going to give up on us, but he wasn't going to pressure me either. I hated that I loved both of these men so much. And why couldn't one of them just be a jerk? I was so used to dating jerks, yet here I was, in love with two perfect men. Neither would agree that they were perfect, but they were. Anyone who could deal with me, put up with me had to be impeccably perfect. And they were.

The next few months went by as normal, as normal as they did in my life. Robert and Dean made an effort to be friends, for the sake of the baby. They would both go with me to the doctor's appointments, and to say that that was weird was an understatement.

But as much as I liked that they put aside how much they both loved me to make me happy, it was driving me crazy. I couldn't do this. I couldn't be around both of them the same time when I was in love with each of them. I couldn't do it anymore, but before I made any rash decisions, I had to talk to the one person who had helped me get through everything before.

It would be so easy for me to just be with Robert, but I had to know I wasn't going to find that he's sleeping with a twenty-some-year-old. I loved him, I know I still did. I still loved Dean too. Because of everything, I needed to learn how to be alone and be happy on my own again.

Jess and I were sitting around, finalizing everything for her wedding one more time. I knew we'd do it at least two more times before the big day, but I was distracted, and I felt bad. I needed to give her all of my attention, yet I was thinking about everything I was going through. It wasn't fair to her or her wedding plans. She was getting married in less than a month and everything was going to be perfect. I was excited when she had asked me to be her maid of honor. I'd never actually been anyone's, but it made me feel good that she wanted me, even though I was as big as a house.

"Oh, come on! You're not thinking about the dress again, are you?"

Jess had caught me. She didn't know what was keeping me from giving her the attention she deserved, but she had caught me drifting off into the void. Blinking, I shook my head and turned to face her.

"Oh, God, Jess! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Jess stopped, focusing in on me for a moment. "This has nothing to do with the dress, I know"

I threw my head back against the back of the couch, slumping down as much as I easily could. "No. I'm sorry. I'm not thinking about the dress."

"You're not even thinking about my wedding, sweets."

"I know. I know. I'm so sorry." I looked over at her, my head still resting against the back of her couch. "Jess, I need your opinion. I mean, I think I've made my decision, but I need to know I'm making the right choice."

And with that, Jess put the book down and turned her full attention to me. I was supposed to be giving her my attention, and here I was wallowing in the path my life had taken. I hated that I was distracted, but if I didn't get it off my chest, I wasn't going to be of any use to her. I wanted her to know I was here for her, but I couldn't be here for her until I got this out.

"I'm leaving Dean."

"For Robert?"

I could tell I had taken her by shock. I had been so adamant about not cheating on Dean. I had come home from spending the weekend in New York on the set of Avengers 2 with Robert and accepted Dean's proposal. I was dedicated to my future with Dean, and no one knew that better than Jess what that meant to me. But because things had gotten so weird between the three of us, because I couldn't stop loving Robert, I wasn't doing this anymore. It wasn't fair to anyone, even me. I shouldn't be allowed to have my cake and eat it too. (Even if Robert and I weren't sleeping together.)

"No. For myself! I'm done with this train wreck I'm trying to avoid. I'm getting off. I'm not going to be with any of them. I need to figure out what's best for my daughter and me. I need to figure out what's best for all three of my children and me. I shouldn't have let this farce go on as long as it has."

"That is the smartest thing I've heard come out of your mouth in months, Chelle!"

I almost glared at her. "Thanks for the support, Jess."

"Hey, what are best friends for?"

Shaking my head, I closed my eyes. "I just feel so bad for Dean. He's been so happy these last few months. I feel horrible for breaking his heart like this."

"No offense, honey," Jess said flatly, "but I'm sure he's just thankful to have had as much time as he's had with you. Everyone has seen this coming for a long time."

I opened my eyes, looking over at her. "What? Did you really think I was going to leave him?"

She nodded. "Not to be alone though. I'm surprised you didn't decide to be with Robert back when we went out to New York and leave him then."

"I should have broken it off with him then. I shouldn't have dragged him along for so long. I really don't want to hurt him."

"You have to think about what is best for you and your children, Chelle. Yes, it will probably hurt him alot, but you can't worry about that."

"You know I will though."

And she did know. If anyone knew me, she did. She knew how badly I hated seeing people in pain, whether physical or emotional, and she knew I hated it more when I am the cause of that pain. There was nothing anyone could do to change that about me, no matter how hard she or I tried, or anyone else for that matter.

* * *

I went on maternity leave when I left Dean. I hated leaving him and work at the same time, not having anything to do with him, but he had been the one to suggest I take time off to get ready for the baby. He hired someone to move my stuff out of his place for me. He kept himself together really well, even though I knew it was killing him inside. It wasn't as though we'd never see each other. Christopher and T2 had grown close, and we couldn't just take them away from each other.

We moved into a place next door to Teri and Emerson, which was really amazing to say the least. Emerson was a big help with getting us settled and my children really started to like her quickly. She offered to help me out occasionally with them, and I thanked her profusely. She was an amazing girl, and I was grateful she lived right next door. T2 could call and, if she was home, just head on over to spend time with her. It was perfect.

Not going to work (almost) every day was starting to drive me crazy. But Jess kept me busy with the wedding. I was so excited for her. She and Chris had been engaged just a little over a year, and I was excited the day was fastly approaching. We had the final fitting for my dress just two days before the ceremony. If I didn't fit into it the day of the wedding, I would crawl into a hole and not come out until after the baby was born.

The baby was growing really well. We had all been worried that I'd have complications because of my bypass, but with the supplement of vitamins and other natural regimens, the pregnancy was actually smoother than my two previous pregnancies. Robert was getting eager for her birth. He had two sons and was excited beyond words to be having a daughter. I knew he was going to spoil her beyond belief.

I stood with Jess in the stadium president's office at Fenway Park fixing her hair. They had decided to get married where they had met,s o we had all flown out to Boston. (I had to get special considerations from my doctor to be able to fly so close to my due date, but Robert promised he'd keep a special eye on me.)

Security had been posted around and the perimeter blocked off so no paparazzi could get through. The only pictures that were going to be taken were those by the the photographer Jess and Chris had hired. No one who wasn't invited was going to get in.

I smiled at Jess, fixing her dress. "You look so beautiful."

The bodice was tight and the dress fanned out from the empire waist. The beadwork on it was subtle yet caught the right amount of light. She looked gorgeous.

"Chris is going to have to pick his jaw up off the grass."

Jess smiled, turning to face me, giving me a tight hug. "I love you, Chelle! Thank you for helping me plan this. For being my maid of honor. Everything."

Shaking my head, I pulled back, needing to breathe and not wanting to wrinkle her dress. "I didn't do anything but complain about the heat and looking like a tent in this dress."

Jess shook her head at me. "You aren't a tent, and even if you were, you're my maid of honor tent."

I smiled slightly. "I am so happy for you, Jess. Who would have thought when we met seven years ago that we both would have met Robert and Chris, and I'd be pregnant with Robert's baby and you'd be marrying Chris."

"I didn't, that's for sure."

"You're very beautiful, Jess. Chris is going to be awestruck."

"No more sap."

"You're right. Let's get you out there so you can become Mrs. Chris Evans."

I walked toward Chris, his brother Scott and the non-denominational priest ahead of Jess, my eyes locked on Robert's even after I came to a stop on the other side of the priest from Chris and Scott. Aside from our doctor's appointments, he and I hadn't seen each other and it was nice to see him. I did my best to keep my attention on the ceremony.

After the bride and groom had their first dance, everyone else was invited to dance and Scott came up to me, intercepting Robert and I couldn't help but laugh at him as he grumbled and sat back down.

"It's customary for the best man and maid of honor to dance."

"I hope you don't have any issues dancing with a whale."

"You're not a whale," he laughed. "Pregnant women always think they're fat."

"We are. But I didn't just say I was fat. You did." I grimaced, closing my eyes and gripping hard onto his biceps. "Oh..."

"Are you alright?" Scott asked, holding me closer.

Opening my eyes, I swallowed coarsely, nodding. "I'm fine, I just... It's just Braxton Hicks. Nothing serious."

"Are you sure? Are you sure you don't need to sit?"

"No." I shook my head. "I'm fine. I'm-" I cried out in pain, unable to hold it in.

Before I knew it, Robert was beside me, one hand on my back and the other on my stomach. "What's wrong?" He looked over at Scott. "What happened?"

"I don't know. She..." Scott yelped out, jumping back from me, allowing me to fall against Robert.

I looked up at him, shaking my head. "My water just broke."

Robert's eyes widened and he leaned over, lifting me into his arms. I tried protesting, but he didn't listen. Both Jess and Chris came running over to us. I was in too much pain to respond, but Robert told them what was going on. Before I knew it, we were in a car heading to the hospital, I assumed.

We arrived what seemed like hours later, but I'm sure it couldn't have been that long. The hospital staff had me set up in a delivery room. Things hadn't been like this when I had T2. Each time I had to have a C-section, but this time, my water had broken on it's own and by the time we got to the hospital, I was already dilated to six inches. I had been having what I thought had been Braxton Hicks from the time I had woken up and thought nothing of it.

The delivery doctor checked in and told us that we'd be welcoming our little baby girl in a less than a half an hour and I started to panic. I couldn't do this. It wasn't right. I was scared to death that if I told Robert how I was feeling, I'd push him away. I'd never been afraid to tell him anything as long as I'd known him, but this might mean that any chance he and I would ever have together would be lost.

I had been listening to Robert's album _The Futurist_ on the plane to Boston on repeat more times than I was going to admit. The title track was still stuck in my head even though I was in painful labor. I couldn't get his words out of my head. _"I won't have to run around. Baby, you won't have to think twice."_ I know those words weren't written for me, but they gave me peace. They gave me strength.

"I can't do this, Bob. I can't!"

He held my hand to to his chest and leaned forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. "You can, baby. You're strong. You've done this two times before. You can do this."

I shook my head. "I'm not talking about this. You don't understand."

He ran his fingers through my hair. "Then tell me, baby."

I practically gulped. "I am old-fashioned. I can't have a baby and not be married."

Robert coughed but didn't let go of my hand. I looked up at him, shaking my head slightly. I didn't want to lose him, but a part of me was afraid to think that since he didn't immediately bolt for the door meant that he wasn't going to. I couldn't let myself believe that he understood what I was saying and that he wanted this as well.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, Bob, but I really can't do this. I thought I could. I thought I could be a single, strong, independent mother."

"You can. You are."

"But I don't want to, not the single part. Bob, please don't think I'm crazy."

He smiled, bringing my hand to his lips to kiss them gently. "I never have, baby."

Even though I believed everything he was saying, I was still scared. "I love you, Bob, and I have for years, but knowing you and being able to really fall in love with you has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. I know this is completely unexpected, but I-"

I screamed out in pain as another contraction tore at my cervix. Robert held into my hand, not letting go the whole time it held me. When the pain ebbed, I looked up at him, still afraid to continue, but he prompted me to anyway.

"You had something you wanted to ask me, baby."

I took a shaky breath. "I promise I won't want to crawl into a hole to die if you say _no_."

He turned my hand over and kissed the palm. "Just ask," he whispered.

"Will you please marry me? Not only because I don't want our little girl to be born a bastard, but because we love each other. Marry me now, please."

"Right this minute?"

"Please."

He stood, heading straight for the door, calling down the hall, "I need a priest. Get me a priest or a pastor. Get me a bishop. Get me a rabbi. I doing care what you get, just get one."

I laughed at him from the bed. I knew he was serious, but just the way he was going about it was too good for words. He turned back to face me.

"What, don't believe I'm sincere?"

"I know you are," I told him. "But you're just too amazing."

"You're amazing." Walking back over to me, he picked up my hand in both of his. "Is this really what you want?"

I nodded quickly. "I know your divorce was just finalized, and this was probably the last thing you wanted to do, but-"

He shook his head. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I don't want you to be my wife."

A nurse came into the room and asked whether we really did need a priest and Robert nodded firmly. "As quickly as possible. Tell him he has a wedding to perform."

I awoke some time later to a darkened room and someone's arms wrapped around me laying on the bed with me. I knew it was Robert without opening my eyes. I could tell by the way he breathed. I could tell by the way he held me.

In a tiny basket bassinet was our beautiful sleeping daughter. I smiled, loving how perfect this day had been. Not only did my best friend marry the man of her dreams, but I married Robert and gave birth to his baby as well. It was a beautifully perfect day, and I knew there would only be millions more just as perfect as this one, now that I was Mrs. Robert Downey Jr.

He stirred beside me, looking up at me in the mostly dark room. "Hello, wife. How are you feeling?"

"I've never been happier."

Leaning closer to me, he brushed his lips over mine. "Any pain?"

"Not really. How is Forever?"

Robert looked over to where our baby girl fast asleep. "She's perfect." He looked back at me. "Just like her mother."

"I love you, Bob."

He smiled at me, leaning in to kiss me again. "I love you, Mrs. Bob."

I giggled into our kiss, happier than I've ever been.

* * *

I sat on the couch in my living room with Teri as Emerson sat on the chair perpendicular to us holding Forever in her arms with T2 hovering over her and their new baby sister. Teri had been quiet for quite a while before she inhaled deeply beside me. Turning to look at her, I tilted my head as if to ask what was wrong.

"Emerson loves your children, Chelle."

That didn't answer my question, but I didn't push. "They love her."

"I always wanted to give her a brother or a sister." Her shoulders raised in a soft shrug. "But she really does have a little brother... even if I'm the only one who knows."

I didn't understand. What was she trying to tell me? "Teri?"

She smiled over at me. "I thought that you two would have been it for him, but to be honest, even if you did make him happy, a part of me still wanted to be with him even more."

My eyes widened. "Dean?"

Teri smiled a little more fully. "I've loved him ever since we met on Lois and Clark. But I was married to Jon at the time, and Dean wasn't ready to settle down."

"Wait, did you..." I looked over at Emerson and back to her mother. " Are you saying that Dean..."

She nodded her head before I could ask the entire question.

"He doesn't know." It was more a realization than a question. "And you're still in love with him."

"Always have been."

"You need to tell him. All three of them need to know, Teri."

She stood, reaching for her purse. "Em, I need to go for a while. I'll see you at home later."

She nodded, lost in my children. "Yeah, mom..."

I stood quickly off the couch. "Are you going to see him?"

Smiling brightly at me, she headed for the door. "If everything goes alright, they will all know soon."

I gave her a quick hug at the door. "Good luck, hon."

She smiled, turning quickly from me and heading to her car parked in her driveway. Just as she was pulling out, Robert pulled in our driveway, parking in front of the garage. I loved him coming home to me. Jumping out of his car, he came around the car to greet me at the door.

"Welcome home, baby."

He pressed his lips to mine, kissing me deeply. "It's good to be home."

"Dinner is waiting in the dining room."

"What did you make?"

I wrapped my arm around his waist, leading him inside. "Lasagna."

"Perfect."

We all sat down to dinner and after Emerson played with T2 on the wii while Robert and I headed upstairs to the nursery to nurse Forever. I told him about Dean and Teri and how happy I was for them. Robert knew how much I cared for others. He knew how terrible I felt about breaking Dean's heart. At least maybe now we could all be happy.

I knew I was. I had a family, one I knew I always would have. I never would have gotten everything I ever wanted if I would have let my fear get the better of me. I wouldn't have a husband who adored me and who loved my older children as much as he loved the one we created out of love. I was grateful I finally figured out what and who I wanted. Thank God he wasn't afraid of Taking Chances Too.

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone is happy! Please comment!


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